BenQ unveils mirror-finished T33 music phone

BenQ concluded its week with news of the T33, a new music-oriented slider phone designed for ease of use above all else. A side music key automatically cues up the music player regardless of where the user might be in the interface, helping manage AAC and MP3 tracks. The number pad also implements a unique, wave-like design which is said to be easy to use for dialing while also being fashionable. MicroSD cards up to 2GB hold the phone's pre-recorded media as well as photos or AVI and MPEG-4 videos captured using the 2-megapixel camera. An FM radio tuner is also available as an alternative source of entertainment, BenQ says.

The phone operates on a tri-band GSM radio and so is most likely to be sold in BenQ's Asian home as well as in Europe. Although focused on media, the handset relies primarily on the legacy GPRS format for connecting to the Internet rather than EDGE or a 3G technology like HSDPA. BenQ did not mention an exact release date or a price, though the T33 may be ready immediately and is expected to sell for relatively little without the added mobile broadband chipset.